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Blowout of No. 18 Bearcats puts FHSU in MIAA tourney

2/21/2008

By RANDY GONZALES

Hays Daily News

It was a good night for former Scott City standouts.

First, senior guard Sheena Kuntzsch set a school record for free throw attempts in the Tigers' win in the women's game.

Then her younger brother, freshman Corbin Kuntzsch, and sophomore Tim Peintner both had career games in the Tiger men's win.

The Scott City products also helped the Tiger men clinch a berth in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association postseason tournament.

"Now, it's definitely a done deal," said Tiger coach Mark Johnson after the Fort Hays State University men's basketball team's 78-54 thumping of No. 18 Southwest Baptist (Mo.) University.

Wednesday night's convincing win in Gross Memorial Coliseum helped make up for a 33-point loss on the road earlier in the season.

Johnson remembers first letting a home game slip away last month against Truman State (Mo.) University, then the lopsided loss in Bolivar, Mo., followed by a long bus trip home.

This time around, it was Southwest Baptist that had a long trip home after a loss.

"That whole week left a sour taste in our mouth," Johnson said.

Kuntzsch scored 15 points and Peintner added 13 -- both career highs -- as the Tiger bench outscored the Bearcats' reserves, 34-7.

"They come from a very good program at Scott City," Johnson said.

The Bearcats didn't look like the No. 18 team in the nation and No. 2 team in the South Central Region, thanks to the Tigers' in-your-face defense, coupled with a hot shooting night from 3-point range.

Fort Hays forced 11 of the Bearcats' 16 turnovers in the first half, taking a 41-23 lead at intermission.

The Tigers and Bearcats were tied at 10-10 when Fort Hays went on a 16-0 run to lead 26-10.

Peintner had two buckets in that span and Kuntzsch nailed a trey.

Southwest Baptist (18-6 overall, 11-4 MIAA) got as close as 14 midway through the second half at 61-47, but no closer.

The Bearcats shot 36 percent from the floor for the game, and made 2-of-15 from 3-point range.

"Our guys are starting to figure out how to win a game -- play defense," Johnson said.

Fort Hays (16-8, 8-7) was 10-of-13 from long distance, with Kuntzsch going 3-for-3, junior guard Tyrone Evans 3-for-4, senior guard Jake Sims 2-for-3, Peintner 1-for-2 and junior guard Terry Jeffries 1-for-1.

"We needed to shoot the ball well tonight to win," Johnson said. "That's how we score, we rely on 3-point shooting."

In 24 minutes, the 6-foot-6 Peintner scored 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting, grabbed a game-high eight rebounds, recorded two assists and two steals and blocked one shot.

"I think Tim Peintner had his best game as a Fort Hays Tiger," Johnson said.

Peintner said it helps to have his former high school teammate on the court with him.

"Me and Corbin, we've played a lot of years together," Peintner said.

"I know where he will be on the court, and he knows where I will be at."

Peintner also had a two-handed, rim-rattling dunk on a fast break, his second throw-down in as many games.

"It gets the crowd going," Peintner said with a smile.

The Tigers had five players score in double figures. After Kuntzsch's 15 and Peintner's 13, Evans also scored 13, Jeffries had 11 and Sims netted 10.

Southwest Baptist got 18 points from senior Jim Grabowski and 17 points from 6-10 sophomore Matt Rogers.

Junior D'Ante Harris, who was averaging 16 points, was held to three for the Bearcats, who were averaging 79 points per game.

Fort Hays will next play Truman State at Kirksville, Mo., on Saturday.

Sports editor Randy Gonzales can be reached at (785) 628-1081, Ext. 137, or by e-mail at

rgonzales@dailynews.net.

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